Yieldable barrier



Patented Jan. 29,

EMERSON D. SAWYER, OE CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

YIELDABLE BARRIER.

Application filed August 6, 1927. Serial No. 211,154.

My invention relates to certain novel and useful improvements in yieldable barriers, and has as its principal object the provid ng of means to produce yieldable barriers whlch if placed close to the tracks of the crossing which they are guarding, will be resistively yielding if struck by a car approaching the crossing, yet freely yielding if struclr by a car already on the crossing, such that it w1ll be practically impossible to trap an automobile in front of a speeding train. The further objects of my invention will appear throughout the specification.

This invention consists primarily of improvements on the parts and devices shown and described in my earlier applications for Letters Patent, on yielding and yieldable barriers. These earlier applications were filed in the United States Patent Office, the first on or about December 27, 1921, Serial Number 525.236; the second filed July 8, 1922, Serial Number 573,759; the third filed May 16, 1923, Serial Number 689,365; the fourth filed May 16, 1923, Serial Number 639,366; the fifth filed March 25, 1925, Serial Number 18,189; the sixth filed March 25, 1925, Serial Number 18,190, refiled July 31, 1926, Serial Number 126,280, the seventh filed August 2-4:, 1925, Serial Number 52,081., and the eighth filedAugust 1d, 1926, Serial Number 129,212.

The present invention relates more particularly to the drum box or carriage which is mounted so as to move longitudinally within the shell of the columns and the devices contained within the drum box or carriage.

The various parts of a'yieldable barrier must be designed technically to withstand the shock that such a machine is subjected to. Further it is a recognized fact that every machine has a safe load limit.

The accompanying drawings best show the invention, in which Figure 1 is a front elevational view of the drum box or carriage.

F ig. 2 is a side elevational view of the drum box.

Fig. 3 is the top or plan. view of the drum box or carriage.

Fig. 4 is a detailed view taken on the line AA of Fig. 2, showing the brake tripping mechanism.

As has been described in my earlier applications for Letters Patent on yieldable barriers, a yielding barrier consists essentially of two columns one on each side of the road way, a net stretched between these columns across the roadway, means for raising and lowering this net and means within the columns for applying braking resistance to the paying out of the net when a vehicle impinges thereon.

Referring to Figures 1, 2 and 3, the present invention concerns essentially the drum box 1 and the parts within it, or attached thereto. A drum box 1 is mounted to travel vertically in a column. Toward the base of this column and in front of the drum box is attached acam track 2. Rollers 3 are provided to permit of ease of operation of box 1 up and down in the column. Box 1 is moved up and down by means of operating chain 4:, and a counterweight is hung in balance with drum box 1 by the attached cable 5.

Cables 6 are the payout cables which support the roadway net that crosses the roadway between the vertical operating drum boxes 1. Normally, cables 6 are wound on drums 7 and 7 The dead ends of cable 6 are fitted into loose sockets as at- 7 and then the cable is wound up spirally one turn on top of another.

The cable 5 is wound twice around drum 8, the dead end being anchored in the drum and. the free end passing up through the top of box 1 to the top of the column over a sheave and then down to the balance and rewind counterweight.

Drums 7 7 a and 8 as well as synchronizing gears 11., 11, 1.1 and 11, and brake wheel 12 are all keyed to pivotally mounted shafts 9, 9 9 and 9 as shown. The slotted fair leader lugs 10 allow the cables 6 to move from position 6 to 6 as best shown in Figures 1 and 3. Brake band 13 which engages brake wheel 12 has its anchored and movable ends pinned to lever plates 14, so that a downward pull on eye bolt 15 and a consequental compression. of spring 16 causes the brake band 13 togri p the brake wheel 12. i

The setting of the brake band. 13 on brake wheel 12 is brought about by the box 1 being lowered in its column so that the lever 1.7 is forced inwardly by the cam track 2, thus moving the lever roller from position 18 to 1.8.

The parts described so far are substantially the same as shown and disclosed in my earlier applications for Letters Patent on yieldable barriers.

My present invention is devised principall v so as to permit of an automatic release of the braking devices, should the barrier net be struck by a car traveling in the off-going direction, as regards the guarded crossing, and the cables 6 are deflected to a position 6 as shown in Figures 1 and 3.

Instead of having eye bolt with its spring 16 directly connected to the pin 17 which latter is secured to the heel of the brake lever 1'7 and is adapted to ride in the arms of the fork strap 19 and also to seat on the concaved end of a cross-head member 21, 1 now prefer to have this connection made through an automatic tripping device. This automatic tripping device in the form shown con sists of the following: the-fork strap 19 with its upper or closed end pivotally pinned to the eye bolt 15 by pin 20 and a saddle top crosshead member 21 mounted just below the heel of lever 17. The cross-head member 21, as best shown in Fig. d permits the s'lidable movement of the arms of the fork strap 19. Below the cross-head member 21 is a sustaining lever 22 pivotally mounted in the lower end of fork 19. A roller 23 is also pivotally mounted in the upper end of lever 22.

lVhen lever is'up so as to hold the brake 13 in contact with wheel 12, at the same time that roller lever '17 is forced inwardly by cam 2, then the roller 25: lies in a curved pocket of cross-head 2'1. ln this position a vertical line through the center of roller 23 is a predetermined distance M to one side of vertical line through the rotation center of lever 22 and the spring maintains lever 22 in this nearly upright position against any slight vibrations in the boX 1, due to its up and down movement. Thus should the cables 6 be defleeted to a position such as 6 as shown in Figure 3, then the braking devices 13 and 12 are capable of retarding the payout of cables 6.

Should the cables 6 be deflected, to position 6 as shown in Figure 3 it is desirous to have the braking devices 12 and 13 auttnnatically released so as to let the cables 6 pay out freely due to the ordinary tractive force of an automobi e. This emergency arises if an automobile is trapped on a crossing which has the barriers set up close to the tracks and the motorist must be able to force his car clear of an oncoming train.

Further mechanical means to accomplish this consists of sliding hook bars 25 and 25, linked to 1 ivotally mounted levers 26 and 26 which in turn arelinked to loop bars and 2?. The loop bars 27 and 27 enshroud the .QblQS 6 in their normal position. lVhen the cables 6 are forced to a position at 6, loop bars 27 and 2'?" are not moved laterally as the fair leaders 1O carry the side thrust of the cables 6. Provided the cables 6 are deflected to position 6*, then the loop bars 27 and 2? are pulled laterally to such a position as 27 in Figure 1, and this in turn swings either or both of the lever bars 26 and on their pivot pins 2.8 and 28, thus sliding either one or both of the hook bars 25 and 25 laterally on the lug 2r 'lhis lateral movement of bars 25 and25 forces the lower end of lever 22 from position 22 to 22 as shown in Figure 1, thus permitting the roller 23 to roll out from under the curved underside of crosshead 21. As lever swings into a horizontal position the fork 19 moves upward, due to the pull of the compressed spring 16 and the brake band 13 is then released from contact with brake wheel 12, thus permitting cables 6 to pay out freely.

The object of this part of my invention is to provide a means to permit of having a re sisting though yieldable gate, if struck from one side, but a practically non-resisting yieldable gate if struck from the other side, even when the drum boxes 1 are fully lowered so as to engage the brake lever 17 with its cam track 2.

Should the cables 6 be deflected toward position 6 when the boxes 1 are in any vertical position, or should the cables 6 be deflected to position 6 when the boxes 1 are in any position except their fully lowered position, then the payout cables 6 by being reeled out freely cause the reelin in of cable 5, thus raising the balance counterweight which is attached to the free end of cable 5. Cable 5 is also reeled in if the barrier net is struck from the one-om ing side with the not fully lowered, although under these conditions the braking apparatus is engaged and capable of stopping the vehicle. This raising of the counterweight by cable 5 is for the purpose of developing po' tential energy to be used in rewinding the cables 6 as brought out in my previous applications for yielding barrier patents.

New should the cables 6 be pulled entirely off the drums 7 and 7, then the reeled up cable with it. attached counterweight would tend to again reel out thus permitting the counterweight to drop.

To provide for this emergency, my present invention includes the following means, consisting of a spirally grooved drum 30 mounted so as to turn, with shaft 9. A predetermined number of the turns of the spiral groove on drum 30 are made plain as at 31, and a portion of a turn toward the end of the spiral groove is formed into a series of ratchet teeth as at 32. The dog is mounted so as to lrc free to turn both vertically and laterally by its mounting in the pintle pin 84 and heel block 35, so that the outer end of dog 33 is free to trace a path along the spiral groove of drum 30, as drum 30 revolves. The spring 36 is provided, so as to hold the outer end of dog 33 lightly in the spiral groove of drum 30.

This mechanical means in the preferred form shown functions as follows: Should the cables 6 be pulled out only partially then the engaging end of dog 33 does not travel off the plain portion of the spiral groove as at 31, thus permitting the recoiling counterweight attached to cable 5 to recoil the cables 6. Now should the cables 6 be entirely run out and pull free of the drums 7 and 7 then just before the ends of cable 6 leave the drums 7 and 7 the drum 30 has been rotated far enough so as to bring the dog 33 in contact with that portion of the spiral groove which has ratchet teeth formed in as at 32. bus when the cables 6 pull entirely free from the box 1 the cable 5 cannot reel out again and permit its attached counterweight to drop as the dog 83 is engaging the ratchet teeth at The method of resetting the barrier cables 6 after these cables 6 have been pulled out fully is flrst,-to insert the ends of cables 6 through the fair leaders 10, then place the ends of the cables 6 in their sockets as at 7, release the dog 33 from the ratchet teeth 32 and thus permit the counterweight attached to cable 5 to recoil the cables 6 on to drums 7 and 7.

lVhile I have illustrated and described the preferred form of construction for carrying my invention into effect, this is capable of variation and modification without departing from the spirit of the invention. I, therefore, do not wish to be limited to the precise details of construction set forth, but desire to avail myself of such variations and modifications as come within the scope of the appended claims.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. A pair of columns located one on each side of the roadway, a flexible barrier net stretched therebetween, means for moving the net into and out of an operative position across the roadway, flexible means attached to each end of the net, said flexible means attached at their opposite ends to friction braking devices within each of the columns, means for making the net resistably yielding if struck from one side and means for making the net readily yielding if struck from the other side by a speeding vehicle.

2. A pair of columns located one on each side of the roadway, a flexible barrier net stretched therebetween, n'ieans for moving the not into and out of an operative position across the roadway, flexible means attached to each end of the net, said flexible means attached at their opposite ends to friction braking de vices within each of the columns, means for making the barrier net readily yielding whether in or out of an operative position when struck by a moving vehicle from one side, means for making the barrier not readily yielding when not in an operative position if struck by a vehicle from the opposite side and means for making the barrier net resistably yielding when in an operative position if struck by a vehicle from this opposite side.

3. A pair of columns located one on each side of the roadway, a flexible barrier net stretched therebetween, means for moving the net into and out of an operative position across the roadway, flexible means attached to each end of the net, said flexible means attached at their opposite ends to friction braking devices within each of the columns, means for automatically releasing said friction braking devices by the lateral movement in one direction only of the said flexible means attached at either end of the hot, when the net is struck by a vehicle moving in said one direction only.

a. A pair of columns located one on each side of a roadway, a flexible barrier net stretched therebetween, means for moving the not into and out of an operative position across the roadway, flexible means attached to each end of the net, said flexible means attached at their opposite ends to friction braking clevices within each of the columns and means for tightening or making effective said braking devices by the moving of the barrier not into an operative position, for the purpose of stopping speeding vehicles when travelling in one direction, and means for releasing said brake tightening devices consisting of mechanical means that can be functioned by a lateral movement in the opposite direction of the flexible means attached to each end of the net, for the purpose of permitting the speed ing vehicle to travel away from the place of danger if going in the opposite direction.

5. A pair of columns located one on each side of a roadway, a flexible barrier net stretched therebetween, means for moving the net into and out of an operative position across the roadway, flexible means attached to each end of the net, said flexible means at tached at their opposite ends to friction braking devices within each of the columns and means for tightening or making effectivesaid braking devices by the moving of the barrier not into an operative position, the braking devices being effected only when the barrier is struck by a vehicle travelling in one direction.

6. A pair of columns located one on each side of a roadway, a flexible barrier net stretched therebetween, means for moving the not into and out of an operative position across the roadway, flexible meansattached to each end of the net, said flexible means attached at their opposite ends to friction braking devices within each of the columns and means for tightening or making effective said. braking devices by the moving of the barrier net into an operative position, means for automatically recoiling the flexible means attached to the net after said flexible means have been partially paid out when the net is not in an operative position, means for automatically recoiling the flexible means attached to the net after said flexible means have been partially paid out with the net in an operative position with the brake tightening means set and after said brake tightening'means have been released manually, andmeans.for'preventing the automatio recoiling devices from functioning whenthe netand its attached flexible means have been entirely paid out from either one or both columns.

7. A pair of columns located one on each side of a roadway, a flexible barrier net stretched therohetween, means for moving the 10 net into androut 01 an operative position across the roadway, fiexihlemeans attached to each end of the net said flexible means attached at their opposite cndsto friction braking devices located Within carriages mounted to travel vertically Within the columns, means for counterbalancing the carriages, said counterbalaincingmeans so monnted as to serve as recoiling means for recoiling the flexible means attached-to each end of the netwhen said flexible means are paid out and means for stopping or arresting the recoiling'means in any predetermined position.

EMERSON D. SAXVYER 

